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Success Story: AR Flag and Banner

Kerry McCoy started Arkansas Flag and Banner in 1975 with $400.00 and a good pair of walking shoes. She sold her flags door-to-door to businesses, schools, and churches. Today FlagandBanner.com is a multi-million dollar company that sells both custom and stock flags and banners to a worldwide customer base.

When asked how she was able to do this Kerry says, “Because we embraced change and specifically technology”. Kerry identified the value of technology early on and has leveraged it to grow her business.

She put a computer on every employee’s desk when most small businesses used a computer for accounting, if at all. Her sales people utilized the Internet for researching potential customers, growing her business outside its previous boundaries. Her buyers found new suppliers lowering cost or at least keeping current ones honest.

She registered her domain name, flagandbanner.com, in September 1995 and immediately established an online presence. She recognized the power of the Internet to grow her business in ways that simply were not possible through traditional sales channels. In 1998 Internet sales accounted for less than 1% of total sales, today over 25% of revenues come from her website’s shopping cart and a significant amount of her off-line sales found her online.

Although Kerry is heavily invested in technology she will tell you that she is not in the technology business… she’s in the flag business and that is where iProv comes in.

“iProv understands that technology is a tool for business, it should play a supporting role not center stage” says Kerry. “I use iProv for everything from web design and Internet marketing to computer support but more importantly I can count on them to give me good advice, they have sound business judgment which is rare in left brain thinkers. I need to be sure they will tell me no…, “No you don’t need that.” I can depend on them to look at every technology decision from a business perspective; how will it affect my bottom line. More than anything that’s why I rely on iProv.”

Each day brings new opportunity in the form of technology. Making the decisions about what to embrace and what to avoid can be a challenge. If asked, Kerry will tell you that one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing a technology partner. Someone you can work with to make those decisions. We are proud that Arkansas Flag and Banner chose us to be their partner for the future.